Keit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Keit is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was name for a person who had acquired the nickname of the kite, which was originally derived from the Old English word cyta, referring to the "kite" the bird of prey. 1 2 In this case the original bearer of the surname earned this name due to their wild, and high-spirited nature.

Early Origins of the Keit family

The surname Keit was first found in Norfolk where Richard Kete was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1166. Years later, Richard Kyte was listed in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243; William Ket in the Hundredorum Rolls for Norfolk in 1275; Peter le Kyte in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327; and John Kette in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland in 1327. Ralph atte Kete was found in the Pipe Rolls for Kent in 1292. 3

In Yorkshire, Hugo Kyte was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4 Again in Norfolk, but much later, John Kyte, was Rector of Wolferton in 1507. 5

Early History of the Keit family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keit research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1483, 1485, 1507, 1513, 1521, 1524, 1526, 1534, 1535, 1537, 1540, 1547, 1549, 1589, 1616, 1632, 1638, 1660, 1662, 1668, 1688, 1702, 1710, 1713, 1714, 1724, 1725, 1739, 1741, 1745, 1755, 1761, 1766, 1783, 1784 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Keit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keit Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Keit have been found, including Kyte, Kite, Keyt, Keyte, Kight, Kyteson and others.

Early Notables of the Keit family

Distinguished members of the family include Robert "Ben" Kett, an English yeoman farmer in Norfolk who joined rebels as their leader in what was later to be known as Kett's Rebellion on July 8th 1549; he was later tried for treason and hanged from the walls of Norwich Castle on 7 December 1549. He "was a member of an old Norman family...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Keit family to Ireland

Some of the Keit family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 165 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keit migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become powerful new nations. Among early immigrants of the Keit surname to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were:

Keit Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christina Keit, aged 47, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 6

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)